Electrolier-fixture.



1H. F. HUTGHINSON. ELBGTBOLIBR FIXTURE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1B, 1909.

Patented Spt, 6, 1910.

lux-mm HAROLD F. HUTCHINSON, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

ELECTROLIER-FIXTURE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 6, 1910.

Application filed J une 16, 1909. Serial No. 502,547.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, HAROLD F. HUTCHIN- SON, of Rochester, in the county of Monroe, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Electrolier- Fixtures, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain improvements in hangers for electroliers and similar lighting fixtures for churches and other auditoriums where a large number of lamps are supported upon a single hanger and suspended from the ceiling high above the floor.

In the installation of these electroliers the feed wires are usually brought through suitable conduits in the loft or attic of the building into a suitable outlet or junction box where they are connected to conductors extending downwardly through the tubular hanger to the several lamps on the fixture, and my main object is to provide a hanger which will securely retain the fixtures in operative position and at the same time permit such fixture to be readily lowered at any time when it may become necessary to replace the burned lamps with new ones, or to otherwise repair or clean such fixture or lamps. In other words I have sought to provide a hanger for drop lighting fixtures such as electroliers which will not only render the fixture and attachments safe against fire from short circuits and similar causes, but will enable such xture to be readily detached from the hanger and lowered to within easy reaching distance from the fioor when necessary.

Other objects and uses relating to specific parts of the device will be brought out in the following description:

In the drawings-Figure l is a sectional view partly in elevation of my improved hanger and adjacent portion of a floor or ceiling from which it is suspended. Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are sectional views taken respectively on lines 2 2, 3-3 and 1 -4, Fig. l. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail sectional view of the lower end of one side of the insulator sleeve to which the ends of the wires from the electroliers are attached showing portions of the sliding contacts and one of the binding posts or screws. Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view of the upper portion of the hanger shown in Fig. l illustrating the manner of attachment of the I-bolt to such fixture for raising and lowering the same.

-A- represents the ioor or ceiling of a building, usually the attic or loft floor, and -athe fioor joists which are spaced apart forming an intervening chamber -athrough which portions of the hanger presently described are to extend.

The feed wire conduits, as -b-, which are usually led to the loft'or attic are passed through suitable pipes or conduits -l, the latter resting upon, and preferably secured to, the upper side of the floor orjoists -apreferably from opposite sides of the opening fwhere they terminate some distance apart in a suitable outlet box 2-.

lThis outlet box is secured to the inner ends of the pipes lby suitable nuts 3- and is provided with a cap -4- to properly inclose the connections between the feed wires -band the conductors which lead into the fixture.

Two or more hanger arms -5- are provided at their upper ends with eyes or rings (S- which are loosely fitted over and upon the inner ends of the pipes -l-, preferably.

just outside of the adjacent ends of the outlet box -2-, said hanger arms extending downwardly into the space -abetween the joists -a-, their lower ends being secured to opposite semi-annular clamping bars -7-. These semi-annular clamping bars are provided with externally threaded nipple sections `8- adapted to be engaged by a nut -9 for clamping the sections -7- upon and around a pipe section -10-. This pipe `10- constitutes a part of the fixture which the hanger is adapted to support and affords a common conduit for the wires, as -ll-, which lead from the pipe 10- to the several lamps (not shown) of said fixture. These pipes l0 are usually provided with an insulating joint l2- which, in this instance, is located just below the ceiling -A- and is inclosed by a suitable rosette or casing -l3-, the latter being secured in it-s adjusted position against the under side of the ceiling -A- by suitable fastening means, as a set screw -14e, Fig. l. This pipe -10- is passed through an opening `15- inthe ceiling and is threaded externally at its upper end for receiving one end of a threaded sleeve or met-al coupling section -l6-, said sleeve being preferably threaded internally throughout its length for receiving an externally threaded metal bushing -17- and a pipe nipple -l6-, the metal section -17- being screwed into the coupling section 1G- some distance beyond its upper end and against the upper end of the pipe -10- so as to occupy a position substantially midway between t-he ends of the coupling -16-.

A porcelain sleeve 18 is secured by suitable fastening screws -19 to the upper end of the bushing -17-, as best seen in Fig. 6. This bushing -17- is provided with a centrally threaded aperture or socket 20 for receiving the lower threaded end 2lof an I-bolt Q2-3 and is also provided with openings #23- through which the wires -11- from the electroliers are passed.

Secured to the outer upright sides of the insulator sleeve -18- is a plurality of, in this instance, four metal contact bars or conductors Q4- the number depending upon the number of wires which lead into the pipe -10-, each of said conductors being,

in this instance, beveled transversely and fitting into corresponding beveled grooves 25- in the outer face of the insulator sleeve 18- so as to hold the conductors against lateral movement. The lower ends of these conductors are preferably deflected downwardly and outwardly and are provided with threaded apertures for receiving binding screws -27- by which the upper ends of the wires 1lare electrically connected to the conducting bars -24-, said screws being of sufficient length to enter sockets 28- in the adjacent sides of the insulator sleeve and thereby prevent endwise displacement of the conductor bars -24-- The nipple -l6 is threaded at both ends and has its lower end screwed into the upper' end of the coupling section 16- above the bushing -17- with sufficient clearance between to receive the lower enlarged end of the insulating sleeve -18-. The upper end of the nipple -l6- is passed through the aperture -29- in the bottom of the outlet box -2- and is engaged by a threaded cap -80- and lock nut -3l--, the cap -30- being screwed against the upper face of the bottom of the outlet box -2- while the look nut -31- is secured against the lower face of said bottom, thereby firmly clamping the nipple -16- to the bottom of the outlet box, which, being mounted upon the inner ends of the pipes -laffords additional support for the entire fixture. Such fixture is supported mainly by the clamps -7- and hanger arms -5-. These clamps -7- fit snugly around the pipe -10- just below the lower end of the coupling -16- which rests u on the upper face of the clamping section when the latter is clamped in position upon the pipe l0- thereby holding the pipe and fixture attached thereto against downward movement.

The nut BO- is provided with a central opening alined with that in the nipple -l6- for receiving an insulating cap M of porcelain or equivalent material, said cap being passed through the opening in the nut 30- and int-o the nipple `1G- and is provided with a central socket B5- of sufficient diameter to receive the upper portion of the insulating sleeve -18-. Secured to the interior walls of the socket -35- is a series of, in this instance, four metal Contact bars or conductors -3G- arranged to conform to the position of thc conducting bars -25- with which they are adapted to have sliding contact, said conducting bars -36- being permanently and electrically connected to the wires which are preferably embedded in the insulator cap S4-1 as best seen in Fig. l. The conducting bars -36- are also beveled in cross-section and iit in corresponding beveled grooves -38- in the walls of the socket -35- so as to hold them against lateral movement.

The cap -341- with its conducting bars -86- constitute a plug adapted to be inserted into and removed from the nipple -16-, the bars -36 having sliding contact with the corresponding bars Q4- on the insulating sleeve -18- so as to establish electrical connection between the feed wires band the wires -11- which lead to the fixture of which the pipe 10- is a part.

rPhe insulator sleeve -18- is provided with a central lengthwise opening 39- therethrough and alined with the threaded socket -20- for receiving the I-bolt 22- when it is desired to raise or lower the fixture, it being understood that when the I- lthe fixture for any purpose, as, for example, replacing burned-out lamps, or for cleaning the various parts of the fixture; the plug or cap 34- is first withdrawn by hand upwardly and laid one side, the adjacent ends of the feed wires -J- being sufliciently flexible to permit this movement, whereupon the I-bolt -22- is then inserted through the opening -39- and screwed into the threaded socket 20- of the bushing -l7; and the cable, as +40-, which is attached to the eye of the bolt, may then be passed around any suitable sheave or housing device (not necessary to herein illustrate or describe), whereupon the cable is tightened and fastened sufficiently to hold the fixture against downward movement. The cap nut -30- is then unscrewed from the upper end of the nipple -16- whereupon the operator may grasp the end of the cable -40- in one hand and then with the other hand reach down into the opening cK- and unscrew the nut -9 from the clamping sections -7, allowing the latter, together with the hanger arms -5-, to rock laterally away from the pipe lO- and out from under the lower end of the coupling -1G-, whereupon the entire fixture, together with the coupling -16-, nipple -l6-, bushing `17-, sleeve 18- and the lock nut -3l-, may be lowered any distance desired; and after the repairs are completed such parts may be again raised and reclamped in place by bringing the sections -7 together against the pipe l0- and directly under the overhanging coupling -l6-, the nut -9- being screwed upon the lower ends of the coupling sections -7- to hold them in place, while the cap nut -30- is similarly screwed upon the upper end of the nipple -16- and against the upper face of the bottom of the outlet box -2-, after which the I-bolt -22- may be unscrewed and withdrawn and the plug 84- re-inserted into the socket -35- to establish electrical connection between the feed wires -band wires -llleading to the lamps of the ixture.

What I claim isl. A drop light fixture for electric lamps comprising a ixture pipe, fixed supports, movable means mounted on said ixed supports and operatively connected to the fixture pipe to support the same, and means operatively connected to, but removable rom, the pipe for receiving a cable by which the ixture may be raised and lowered.

2. A drop light iixture comprising a fixture pipe, a clamp movable into and out of engagement with the pipe, means for supporting the clamp, a shoulder on the pipe resting on said clamp, and means for attachment to a cable operatively connected to the iixture pipe, whereby said xture pipe and fixture may be raised and lowered when the clamp is detached from said pipe.

3. An electric light fixture comprising a fixture pipe, a hanger movable into and out of engagement with the pipe for supporting and releasing the same, and means for attachment to a cable movable into and out of operative connection with the pipe for supporting the same independently of the hanger and permitting said pipe and fixture to be raised and lowered when the hanger is released from engagement with the pipe.

4. An electric light ixture comprising a fixture pipe, a metal threaded member operatively secured to the iixture pipe and provided with a threaded socket, a hanger movable into and out of engagement with the pipe for holding and releasing the fixture, and a screw threaded member screwed into said socket and provided with means for attachment to a cable whereby the fixture may be raised and lowered when the hanger is moved from its holding position.

5. In combination with the supporting pipe of an electrolier, electric wires passing through said pipe, contact terminals electrically connected to said wires, an insulating sleeve operatively connected to the pipe and supporting said terminals, feed wires having contact terminals electrically connected thereto and adapted to contact with the iirst named terminals, an insulator support for the second contact terminals movable relatively to said sleeve for bringing the contact terminals into sliding contact with each other, pipes inclosing the feed wires, and hangers mounted on the feed wire pipes and movable into and out of engagement with the fixture pipe for supporting and releasing the same.

6. In combination with the support-ing pipe of an elect-rolier fixture, a coupling secured to the pipe, a bushing secured within the coupling and provided with a centrally threaded socket, a fixture support movable into and out of engagement with the pipe and forming a seat for the coupling when in operative position, an outlet box above the coupling, a nipple connecting said outlet box and coupling, an insulating sleeve secured to the bushing and provided with a central aperture, and a threaded member passed through said sleeve and engaged with said threaded socket and provided with means for attachment to a cable whereby the fixture may be raised and lowered when the supporting means is disengaged from the pipe.

In witness whereotl I have hereunto set my hand this 9th day of June, 1909.

HAROLD F. HUTCHINSON.

Vitnesses:

IVM. H. BEACH, RAIMAN HARRIS. 

